Kentucky solar installation & market data
The Kentucky solar market at a glance.
Kentucky has about 8,869 solar systems totalling 127.9 MW, as reported by its utilities through July 2026. 7 MW of residential solar was added in the trailing twelve months, down 12.5% on the twelve months before. 0.7% of owner-occupied homes have gone solar and 5.3% of solar customers have a battery. SolarDNA tracks 17 individual installations here, from 0 installers.
Kentucky's SolarDNA Market Score: 30 out of 100.
Kentucky scores 30 out of 100 on SolarDNA's Market Score, a 0-to-100 scale benchmarked against every other state market. That is higher than 14% of U.S. states. Grade D (Fair).
The score combines 5 subscores, each computed from observed market data:
- Velocity (38): trailing-12-month growth in solar added versus the prior twelve months, so accelerating markets score higher.
- Cost (50): median installed $/W relative to the national median (a cheaper market scores higher).
- Incentives (26): net-metering coverage, RECs a new system can earn, state tax credit, rebate program and tax exemptions (components listed below).
- Resource (20): annual solar irradiance, so the same system produces more where this score is high.
- Depth (9): proven demand: how many systems are already installed, with a bonus for markets that show adoption without being saturated.
Federal: Federal residential credit (25D) ended for systems placed in service after Dec 31, 2025. Third-party-owned systems can still use the commercial credit (48E) through 2027 under construction-start rules.
State-level averages hide wide variation. Here's how to go deeper in the app:
- 1Narrow to a zip codeZip metrics give a far more accurate picture of the exact neighborhoods you are considering.
- 2Apply filtersFilter by score, growth, $/W, adoption and permits to reach the markets that actually match your model.
- 3Benchmark the installersSee who already wins there, how fast they are growing, and what they charge per watt.
How SolarDNA defines these metrics
Solar systems
Solar systems is the market-size figure: the systems utilities report on their lines, plus an estimate (sized from reported capacity) for systems outside net metering. It is current for every state.
How SolarDNA calculates solar systems →Tracked installations
Tracked installations are the individual residential, commercial and utility-scale systems SolarDNA holds a record for. SolarDNA de-duplicates the same system across records. Pricing, installers, equipment and every zip-level figure come from these records.
How SolarDNA calculates tracked installations →Median installed cost
Median installed cost is the middle price per watt (DC) that homeowners paid for a residential system in the trailing twelve months, before incentives. Quartiles show the spread.
How SolarDNA calculates median installed cost →Adoption rate
Adoption rate is the share of owner-occupied homes with a residential solar system. It measures how saturated a market is, not how fast it is growing.
How SolarDNA calculates adoption rate →12-month growth
For a state, growth compares the residential solar capacity added in the trailing twelve months with the twelve months before, from utility-reported totals with one-off reporting corrections smoothed out. For cities and zip codes it compares tracked installations.
How SolarDNA calculates 12-month growth →Battery share
Battery share is the portion of a state's solar customers whose system includes a battery, as reported by utilities.
How SolarDNA calculates battery share →Permits
Permits count the solar building permits filed in the last twelve months. They lead installations by several months, which makes them the earliest read on demand.
How SolarDNA calculates permits →Market Score
SolarDNA's Market Score grades each market from 0 to 100 on solar sales potential, weighing velocity, cost, incentives, solar resource and installer depth. Markets are benchmarked against every other market in the country, and the letter grade is set on a curve: A is the top 10% of markets, C the middle 40%, F the bottom 10%.
How SolarDNA calculates market score →See what a specific Kentucky zip code looks like
Drop in any Kentucky zip code and SolarDNA opens its market card: score, installs, median $/W, growth and permits, benchmarked against the state.
Dive deeper into the Kentucky market
Market size & momentum
Systems, capacity, monthly additions, battery share and solar customers by utility.
- •How many solar systems are there in Kentucky?
- •Is solar still growing in Kentucky?
- •Which utility territories are adding the most?
Pricing & economics
Installed $/W, quartiles, system sizes and simple payback.
Growth & adoption
Installs by year, adoption, TAM penetration and battery attach.
Installers
The league table: volume, momentum, system size and pricing per installer.
- •Who installs the most in Kentucky?
- •Which installers are growing fastest?
- •What do they charge per watt?
Utilities & incentives
Retail rates by utility, net metering, SREC value and the planned utility pipeline.
- •What are electricity rates in Kentucky?
- •Which utilities offer net metering?
- •How big is the utility-scale pipeline?
How big Kentucky's solar market is, and where it is heading
Totals reported by Kentucky's utilities through July 2026 (latest months are preliminary)
Trailing-12-month residential capacity added carried forward at half the observed growth rate (capped at ±30%), with a ±10% band. Not a forecast of permits or policy.
Solar customers by utility in Kentucky
Net-metered solar customers through July 2026
| Utility | Solar customers | Capacity | Added, 12 mo | Growth | With battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville Gas & Electric Co | 3,503 | 29 MW | 279 | ▼ 36.2% | 4.7% |
| Kentucky Utilities Co | 2,935 | 30 MW | 169 | ▼ 35.5% | 7.8% |
| Duke Energy Kentucky | 1,054 | 8 MW | 33 | ▼ 75.9% | — |
| Kenergy Corp | 531 | 7 MW | 34 | — | — |
| Kentucky Power Co | 424 | 5 MW | 62 | — | 14.9% |
What solar costs in Kentucky
Residential systems, trailing twelve months
How fast Kentucky is going solar
From SolarDNA's installation records, which run through January 1, 2025; current momentum is in the market totals above
Top installers in Kentucky
Ranked by installations in this state
| # | Installer | Installs | 12-mo | Avg kW | $/W |
|---|
Top zip markets in Kentucky
Ranked by installations · click for the zip market
| Zip | Installs | $/W | Growth | Score |
|---|
Utilities and retail rates
Implied residential rate per utility
| Utility | Type | Res. customers | ¢/kWh | Net metering |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Utilities Co | Investor Owned | 450,673 | 11.8 | ✓ |
| Louisville Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | 384,902 | 12.3 | ✓ |
| Duke Energy Kentucky | Investor Owned | 139,405 | 13.4 | ✓ |
| Kentucky Power Co | Investor Owned | 130,852 | 15.1 | ✓ |
| South Kentucky Rural E C C | Cooperative | 64,877 | 12.9 | ✓ |
| Owen Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 63,984 | 12.6 | ✓ |
| Warren Rural Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | 60,701 | 12.0 | — |
| Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp | Cooperative | 60,641 | 12.3 | ✓ |
Other solar markets in Kentucky
Three ways to slice Kentucky's 17 installations
See how the market splits by sector, by battery attach and by installer, updated with every refresh.
See all breakdownsWhen demand peaks in Kentucky
Not enough complete years of monthly data to profile seasonality yet.
See the monthly trendQuick answers about Kentucky's market
🛡 Why trust SolarDNA data?
How many solar installations are there in Kentucky?
How much does solar cost in Kentucky?
Is the Kentucky solar market growing?
What is the solar adoption rate in Kentucky?
Is Kentucky a good market for solar sales?
How many solar installers work in Kentucky?
How many solar permits were filed in Kentucky?
How current is Kentucky's solar data?
There's a lot more inside the SolarDNA app.
- ◇Zip and city market pages
- ◇Installer league tables
- ◇Territory builder
- ◇Solarizer deal estimates
- ◇Permit activity where reported
- ◇Export the data